Mold press for cigar machines



Oct. 23, 1934. vl J, wAHLsTRoM MOLD PRESS FOR CIGAR MACHINES Filed Dep. 22, 1953 ATTORNEY Patented ct. 23, 1934 PATENT OFFICE f l l 1,977,976 MOLD PRESS Fon cieAR MACHINES Verner J. Wahlstrom, Brooklyn, NQ Y., assigner to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 22, 1933, Serial No. 703,629

6 Claims.

This invention relates to mold presses for cigar bunch machines, its main object being to close the bunch molds automatically by the action of the machine itself.

In making scrap bunches, it is the practice to place the rolled bunches oneby one into the cigarshaped pockets of a mold. x These molds, when lled, are closed by the operator with a cover which has shaped projections registering with the aforesaid pockets Iofthe mold and together with the latter dening the desired shape of the bunch. To complete the bunch-shaping operation, the operator heretofore had to force the `mold cover down into its proper place in the groovesl by manipulating a hand press installed in some convenientplace near the bunch machine.

To eliminate the loss of time caused by this `manipulation and at the saine time to doa much better job, the mold press in the present invention is incorporated with the bunch machine in such a manner that the drive oi the latter drives home the cover. A suitable mold-compressing mechanism, such as a toggle, is actuated by a cam once in every cycle of the machine, thereby imparting a closing motion vtowthe mold cover every time a new bunch is being rolled, thus exerting a tamping action on the `bunches in the closed mold for every bunch placed inthe open mold, thetotal number of successive mold` closings corresponding to the number of grooves in the molds, usually about 20. When the open mold is filled, the closed mold is removed from the press and the newly filled mold inserted in its place. The mold-compressing mechanism is so synchronized with the bunch-rolling mechanism that the mold-press is open at the time a rolled bunch has been ejected from the rolling apron and while the machine is at rest, thus enabling the operator to remove the old mold from the press and to insert a new mold not only after the new mold has been completely filled, but even upon the discharge of any individual bunch, as may be required at the end of a run, with the last mold only partly filled.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a toggle-operated mold press. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinaiter described and then specically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this speciiication and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the automatic moldpress shown incorporated with a cigar bunch machine and operated from the cam shaft of the latter;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top View of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View showing the timerelation of the mold-compressing mechanism with the bunch rolling mechanism of the cigar machine. 65

In carrying the invention into effect there is provided a stationary base adapted to support a cigar bunch mold having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets and a removable cover, and tog,- gle-operated means for intermittently pressing 7 0 said cover down on the mold to drive it home and shape the bunches insaid pockets. In the best constructions contemplated said means includes a pair of vertical posts slidably mounted in said `base on either side-of the mold, a press-head pivotaliy mounted in the upper ends ofthe posts, and `a cam-actuated toggle connected to the posts. These various means and parts may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention isbut one of many possible concrete embodiments ci the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described.

Referring to Figs. r1 to 3, the bed plate 5 of the k85 cigar bunch machine which is supported bylside frames 6 carries the base 'l of the mold press. The base 7 isvprovided with vertical bearings 8 in which are carried sli'dable posts 9 supporting a horizontal shaft l() on which is mounted ,9U the press-head l1. The latter has sockets 11a engaging the posts 9, the bore of these sockets being somewhat larger than the diameter of the posts to permit the head l1 to tilt slightly and thereby adjust itself to any inclination of the cover which may occur while it is being forced down on the mold. The head 11 carries press plates 12, iioatingly mounted on the same by means of pins 13 held in the shanks of plates 12 by set screws 14 and iitted into transversal bores in the press-head having a greater diameter than the pin diameters. The oating mounting of the press plates permits them to engage the mold cover squarely in any tilted position of the press head.

In the base 7 between the bearings 8 is fixed a stud 15 on which is pivoted one member 16 of a pair of toggle levers, the other member 17 being pivoted on a stud 18 connecting the bottom ends of posts 9. The toggle stud 19 joining the members 16 and 17 is connected by a link 20 to a cam lever 21 fulcrumed on a stud 22 carried by a bracket 23 attached to base 7. The cam lever 21 has a roller 24 held in engagement with a cam 25 on the cam shaft 26 of the cigar bunch machine by a spring 27 anchored to a post 28 in side frame 6. The posts 9 are partly cut away for a sufcient distance above the bearings 8 to reduce the width of the press for a given maximum size of mold. The base 7 has a rear'- ward extension 29 supporting a screw 3G which acts as a stop when inserting the mold M. In the extension 29 are slidable side guides 31 which are held in place by set screws 32 and serve to center the mold M on the base 7. Brackets 33 and 34 attached to side frame 6 carry adjustable screws 35 which engage with lugs 36 of base 7 and serve as additional supports for the base 7.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the cam shaft 26 of the cigar bunch machine on which the pressactuating cam 25 is mounted, has a cam 37 engaging with a cam lever 38 operating, through a link 39, an arm 40 carrying the bunch rolling pin 41. The cams 25 and 37 are so related on shaft 26, that the posts 9 are raised with the press-head 11 and the press-plates 12, thus opening the press, by means of cam lever 21, link 20 and toggle lever 17 and 16, whenever the lever 38 is moved into the position shown. In this position of lever 38 arm 40 causes the rolling apron 42, which passes over rolling pin 41, to discharge a rolled bunch B into a clamp 42 provided at the end of the rolling table to receive the same. Since the bunch machine automatically stops at the end of every bunch rolling cycle, the improved mold press therefore is always ready for the removal or insertion of a mold during these rest periods.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic mold press, the combination with a stationary base adapted to support a cigar bunch mold having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets and a removable cover, of toggle-operated means for intermittently pressing said cover down against the mold to drive the cover home and shape the bunches in said pockets.

2. In an automatic mold press, the combination with a stationary base adapted to support a cigar bunch mold having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets and a removable cover, of toggleoperated means for intermittently pressing said cover down against the mold to drive the cover home and shape the bunches in said pockets, said means including a pair of vertical posts slidably mounted in said base on either side of the mold, a press-head pivotally mounted in the upper ends of said posts, and a cam-actuated toggle connected to said posts.

3. In an automatic mold press, the combination with a stationary base adapted to support a cigar bunch mold having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets and a removable cover, of toggleoperated means for intermittently pressing said cover down against the mold to drive the cover home and shape the bunches in said pockets, said means including a pair of vertical posts slidably mounted in said base on either side of the mold, a press-head pivotally mounted in the upper ends of said posts, press plates floatingly mounted in the ends of said head, and a cam-actuated toggle connected to said posts.

4. The combination with ay cam-shaft of a cigar bunch rolling mechanism, of an intermittently operating cigar bunch mold-press driven from said shaft and synchronized with said mechanism so that the mold-press is open at the time the rolled bunch is ejected by said mechanism and while the latter is at rest, whereby the attendant of he bunch rolling mechanism may remove the mold from said press and replace it by a newly lled mold, while the press is open, not only after the latter has been completely filled by the attendant with bunches ejected from said mechanism, but even upon the discharge of any individual bunch, as may be required at the end of a run, with the last mold partly filled.

5. Means for intermittently pressing a mold' cover down against a cigar bunch mold, comprising a pair of vertically reciprocable posts disposed to receive the mold therebetween, a press-head pivotally mounted in the upper ends of said posts, and a cam-actuated toggle connected to said posts.

6. Means for intermittently pressing a mold cover down against a cigar bunch mold, comprising a pair of vertically reciprocable posts disposed to receive the mold therebetween, a press-head pivotally mounted in the upper ends of said posts, press plates oatingly mounted in the ends of said head, and a cam-actuated toggle connected to said posts.

VERNER J. WAHLSTROM. 

